Back in the Day
by paperback10
Summary: When everything was still as it was before the Pilot. :  One-shot!


_Hi! I know, I know. I should really be working on my other fic (which I totally am, by the way), but this just sprung out of nowhere, and I've always wanted to know how things were before the Pilot episode! It's random and probably all over the place, but enjoy!_

* * *

Blair peeked downstairs from the staircase of her penthouse. Nate was already waiting, dressed in a light blue oxford shirt and dark tapered slacks. She couldn't help but stifle the smile on her face. "Hi, sweetie," She said as she descended the staircase, gracefully catching every step.

"Hey," Nate greeted fondly, as he brushed her cheek with his lips. "You look beautiful."

Blair herself was dressed in a dark crimson sheath dress only to be slightly overshadowed by the series of pearls adorning her slim neck. "Thanks," She said as she edged a little closer for another kiss. Nate gladly obliged, already wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I missed you," he breathed out.

A thrill ran down Blair's spine. "I missed you too," She heard herself saying. Nate cupped her cheek a little tighter and deepened his kiss.

"Nate, is that you?" Blair's father called out, abruptly pulling them out of their trance. The two quickly disentangled themselves only to find Harold Waldorf smirking in their direction.

"Mr. Waldorf, nice to see you again," Nate said nervously, a sheepish grin escaping from his lips. The two men shook hands, while Blair desperately tried to hide her flushed cheeks.

"Daddy, Nate's just here to pick me up. We're going to Eric's birthday party."  
Harold raised his eyebrow in surprise. "Eric? Send him my wishes, will you?" He pulled his daughter into a hug and shot Nate a wink.

"We will, daddy," Blair said, as she happily gave in to her father's embrace.

Harold gave her a final kiss on her forehead before escorting the young couple to the elevator. "Have fun, you two."

When the elevator doors had finally shut, Nate's arm instinctively snaked around her waist. Blair giggled as she pressed her body against his and planted a soft kiss on his nose.

* * *

"I am so utterly and awfully and hysterically drunk," Serena confessed, as she nuzzled her face against her best friend's voluminous brown curls. Blair eyed Serena in amusement, trying to balance both of them despite her own intoxicated stupor.

"Never again," She declared resolutely, as images of the night flashed before her eyes.

"Oh, c'mon, one more shot, B! There's a bottle of Patron with your name on it!" Serena exclaimed playfully as she launched back up and drew Blair in the direction of the crowded bar.

They were already making their way towards the bar, when Blair spotted her best friend's brother standing placidly in the background. "Eric!" She squealed, stumbling cheerfully into his embrace and pulling Serena along with her.

"Happy birthday!" They both shrieked.

Eric let out a laugh, as he found himself holding them both in place. "I think you two have had enough to drink."

Serena playfully narrowed her eyes at him. "It's your twelfth birthday, little bro! And we have to commemorate it by drinking the same number of shots, don't we, Blair?" Serena nudged her best friend for support, but Blair seemed to be heavily engrossed in Eric's sandy blonde hair.

"Blair!" Serena exclaimed.

"Your hair is _soooooooooo_ nice, E," Blair drawled, oblivious to anything else. "Never get highlights, OK? Promise me this, Eric."

"I promise, Blair," Eric replied, shaking his head in laughter.

Out of the corner of their eyes, the three noticed Chuck Bass striding towards them from across the room.

"Ladies, Eric," Chuck greeted nonchalantly. "I made it a point to think ahead and bring in the _real_ birthday favors," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Serena's eyes instantly widened, when she watched Chuck slip two carefully folded joints into Eric's breast pocket.

"Chuck! He's twelve!" Serena scowled, suddenly feeling overprotective of her little brother.

Blair simply scoffed. "Like age has ever stopped Chuck Bass before."

Smirking, Chuck turned to face his best friend's girlfriend. "Wouldn't you like to know, Princess?"

Blair shot him an icy glare. "You're heinous."  
"You're beautiful."  
"And _taken_," Blair hissed. She glanced over at a dazed-looking Nate sitting languidly on a couch. "Speaking of which, I think my boyfriend's been having a tad too many birthday favors."

All four turned to look at Nate, who was now building a mini fort with the pillows on the couch, smiling boyishly as they all fell into a heap.

Serena let out a laugh. "You know, Eric, maybe we _should_ join Nate," she said, shooting her friends a mischievous look, before slipping her arm under Eric's and leading him towards an inebriated Nate.

Both Blair and Chuck simply smirked at their friends.

"Care for a drink, Waldorf?" Chuck finally asked, extending his hand for her to take.

At first, Blair hesitated, simply lifting her chin at the gesture, but the warmth in his eyes somehow changed her mind. "I suppose," She drawled, as she followed behind him.

"One gin martini and a scotch on the rocks," Chuck called out, briefly acknowledging the bartender.

"So who's tonight's victim?" Blair lazily inquired as her fingers grazed the neck of her martini glass.

"I'm still deciding between the blonde from Chapin and Ashley Ellison," Chuck said, shooting the curvy redhead a wink.

Blair laughed. "Ashley Ellison, the senior? Don't you think that'll be a little difficult?"  
For a brief moment, Chuck appeared to be deep in thought, but suddenly, his face broke out into a smug grin and he simply said, "I'm _Chuck Bass_."

Blair threw her head in laughter, clumsily knocking her martini glass over. "No, please, you can't be serious!" She snorted, oblivious to his flushed demeanor.

"I don't follow," Chuck bit out defensively.

"That's _your_ pick-up line?" Blair exclaimed, her breath growing scarce by the second. Chuck simply shrugged, feigning indignation, even though his mouth was dangerously twitching into a grin.

Enjoying the way his face turned into a pout, Blair boldly pulled the lapel of his blazer towards her and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "C'mon, lover-boy. I'm bored," Blair murmured playfully.

A coy grin escaped his lips, as he let Blair Waldorf lead the way.

"Sweetie," Blair purred into Nate's ears as she let her hands travel below his chest. "I'm bored."

Barely glancing at Nate and Blair, Chuck plopped down on the couch next to a very high and glassy-eyed Eric. He couldn't help but smirk at the twelve-year-old with pride.

"'Tiffany's,' B?" Serena called out, stretching her slim arms lazily.

Blair's eyes widened, as she pulled away from Nate's embrace in excitement. "Yes!" She exclaimed. "I could really watch 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' right now!"

Still reeling from the loss of contact, Nate couldn't help but suppress a groan. "'Tiffany's' again?" He grumbled. "I thought we agreed that movie was restricted to Sundays only."

Chuck shot his best friend a grin. "I second, Nathaniel." He lazily lit up his joint, letting the fumes waft around the van der Woodsen penthouse, deliberately avoiding Blair's icy glare.  
"Of course, you two would object. Luckily, Eric is here to break the tie. So what do you say, E?" All four looked at Eric expectantly, but the boys knew that the battle had reached its conclusion the moment he let out a sheepish grin.

"'Tiffany's' it is!" Serena squealed triumphantly, as she and Blair dragged the guys down the empty hallway.

Making his groans all the more apparent, Nate pouted and slumped his body against Blair's. "I've honestly lost count of how many times you've coerced us to watch this movie," He said before shooting her a playful grin.

"It's pointless, Nathaniel. We all know Blair's bent on reaching infinity," Chuck joked, a boyish grin escaping his lips.

Blair was about to make a retort but quickly thought better of it, settling instead to shoot each of them a pointed look. Perhaps it was the alcohol in her blood or the fact that she was surrounded by the people she loved, but Blair nevertheless found herself at complete ease that night. She rested her head against Nate's shoulder, letting his arm drape across her own.

Halfway through the film, Blair casually glanced over at Nate only to find him dozing off. She simply rolled her eyes and wriggled out of his grasp so she could assume a more comfortable position on Serena's bed. It wasn't surprising that Serena and her brother were also fast asleep, and Blair couldn't help but smile at how peaceful all three of them looked.

"Not the best movie viewers are they?" Chuck mused from Serena's windowsill. Blair smirked, before walking towards him and sitting next to his feet.

"It's always us who end up making it through 'Tiffany's.' I'm starting to think you like the movie yourself too, Bass," Blair joked.

Chuck's body stiffened. "It's just a stupid movie," he said, shrugging once more to prove his point.

Shaking her head, Blair shot him another teasing glance, before tuning back to the movie.

Chuck quietly surveyed the room. Nate, Serena and Eric were already sprawled peacefully on the bed, but here he was with Blair Waldorf, still wide-awake, still watching the movie. Maybe she was right. Maybe he did enjoy the movie just as much as she did. He briefly smiled to himself, when his gaze fell on Blair's face, and for a moment he reveled in the way it brightened every time a new scene unfolded. It's funny how one movie could have this effect on her, Chuck thought.

"Why do you like watching 'Tiffany's' over an over again?" He heard himself asking.

Blair slowly tilted her head towards Chuck, finding herself utterly speechless. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again, unsure of how to respond. Chuck simply let out a grin before settling his gaze back at the screen.

"I…I like knowing how things will turn out," Blair whispered, suddenly feeling naked. She nervously glanced up at Chuck, already expecting a jeer or teasing remark to escape his lips. But the second she met his eyes, she found something completely different. For a moment, she was mesmerized by the dark eyes that stared so intently into her own, like he was silently telling her that he understood.

"It's your favorite part," he finally said, breaking the silence, as both their heads turned towards the screen.

"_You know what's wrong with you Ms. Whoever-You-Are, you're chicken. You've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, 'OK life's a fact.'_"

Blair cringed. "I don't like this part in particular," she whispered truthfully.

"Why not?" Chuck asked, his eyes still glued to the screen.

"Because it's just…hard to watch. Sometimes, I want to just fast-forward to the part where Paul and Holly make up under the rain, with Cat safely tucked in her trench coat," Blair said dreamily.

Chuck glanced at her, smirking.

"Which part's your favorite?" Blair asked quietly.

"_You call yourself a free-spirit. A 'wild thing.' And you're terrified someone's going to stick you in a cage!"_

Chuck grimaced. "Not this part."

Blair's face broke out into a grin, and she found herself resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks for watching the movie with me, Chuck."

Chuck looked over at Blair, but her face was still glued to the screen. He smirked and thought to himself, "_For you, anytime._"


End file.
